Members of Congress have not seen a pay increase in 15 years.
Members of the House Appropriations Committee voted on June 13 to extend a pay freeze for members of Congress as their constituents struggle with rising costs of living.
The move came during the panel’s mark-up of the fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill for the legislative branch. Before sending the bill to the full House in a 33–24 vote, members voted to amend its language to block a cost-of-living adjustment for members of Congress.
While those in leadership roles receive more, the salary for rank-and-file members of Congress has been capped at $174,000 for 15 years—a fact some were hoping to change.
“This is a serious issue as to whether or not the only people that could serve here are rich people,” Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said during the meeting.
“Now, I know this is politically controversial, and I know members on my side and members on your side will demagogue this issue. And that’s unfortunate because it’s like cutting off our nose to spite our face.”
The congressman noted that the cost of living has risen sharply over the past decade, yet members’ salaries have stayed flat. He said he believed other members feared the optics of asking for an increase.
Mr. Hoyer also agreed with Rep. Andrew Clyde’s (R-Ga.) constitutional concerns about using the appropriations process to block members’ annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which Congress passed in the 1989 Ethics Reform Act to account for inflation.
Mr. Clyde noted that, in exchange for the annual adjustment, members were barred or limited from earning outside income from arrangements that could be construed as pay-to-play schemes.
“I certainly agree with the prohibition of this type of outside income for members of Congress, and I disagree with the manner in which the manager’s amendment addresses the COLA,” he said. “If Congress wants to eliminate the annual COLA, Congress can certainly do so. But this cannot be done through the appropriations process and remain in compliance with the Constitution.”
Mr. Clyde pointed to the 27th Amendment, which states that no law altering the compensation of members of Congress may take effect until after the next election of representatives.
The next election is on Nov. 5. But fiscal year 2025 starts on Oct. 1, making the use of the appropriations process for blocking the cost-of-living adjustment “unconstitutional,” the congressman said, suggesting that the appropriate vehicle would be a rule bill on the House floor to take effect after the election.
“My opposition to this amendment is simply on a constitutional basis, and I would support the legislative branch manager’s amendment if this were not in it,” he added.
Bipartisan Matter
Although not popular politically, the reinstatement of the cost-of-living adjustment has received bipartisan support from members of Congress in recent years, uniting even the unlikeliest of bedfellows.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has sparred with Ms. Ocasio-Cortez on numerous occasions, has also highlighted the pay cut she took by opting to serve in Congress.
But earlier this week, three Democrat lawmakers pointed to their constituents’ current financial hardships as reason to be more mindful of their own pay.
“We have heard from our constituents that the price of everyday household goods such as groceries, gas and housing have far surpassed their paychecks and that they are struggling to meet the rising costs,” Reps. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Eric Sorenson (D-Ill.), and Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) wrote in a letter to leaders of the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch on June 5.
“In Washington, we must be working every day to help lift those folks up and ensure their hard work pays off, not scheming on how to give ourselves a raise.”
The lawmakers urged the subcommittee to amend its appropriations bill to extend the pay freeze for another fiscal year.
The full House is expected to take the bill up in July as they work to pass all 12 appropriations bills by the Sept. 30 deadline.
Stacy Robinson contributed to this report.
